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E-Learning Project
Teaching for the 21st Century:
WestShore’s Pilot Project on E-reading
This present generation was born digital. The use of technology by today’s youth is as common for them as paper and pencil was to past generations. In today’s terms connectivity to information is as simple as the click of a mouse or the stroke of a finger on a personal hand held digital device.
Teaching for the 21st Century: A Pilot Project on E-reading is a new study regarding the use of handheld digital e-Books as the conduit for sharing printed data such as novels and textbooks with the students at WestShore Centre. The intention of this project is to explore new reading devices (in this case, the Sony Digital Book Reader 700 Series) and the impact that this technology makes on this “born-digital” group. At WestShore we are excited to have such incredible partners to help us explore this new learning phenomenon. The partners within our study are the University of Victoria: Digital Humanities Department as well as Faculty of Education, Digital Humanities faculty from Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia, School District #62 Sooke and of course, Westshore Centre For Learning and Training.
Two of our teachers, Devon Stokes-Bennett and Dawn Anderson will be piloting this program with their students (In the Jump Ahead and Jump Ahead Foundations programs). The teachers will work with their students to focus on literacy skills and explore the level of engagement for the learners while using e-Book technologies and virtual resources. The Universities will be looking at the physical, practical and social elements of the electronic reading devices as well as exploring the ;eading practices of the individuals involved. We, at Westshore have made a conscious effort to “go green” and have been very busy purchasing virtual resources as well as locating those resources which are already available through local and provincial “virtual libraries”. The teachers have also started using the individual memory cards, which are placed into each of the e-Books, to provide information, data and handouts for students in a greener format instead of photocopying reams of paper. Teaching at the leading edge is what we do best at WestShore! It takes partners to help students progress in Education and we would like to thank the Times Colonist for their generous “Raise A Reader Grant” for $75,000, the City of Langford for a $4000 "Green grant" and their $8000 UBCM (Union of British Columbia Municipalities) grant, the City of Colwood for their $8000 UBCM grant, Ronald McDonald Charities for their $1100 grant and for the donation of time and expertise from the University of Victoria, Digital Humanities Department and the Department of Education. Together we are working to make a difference for students.
Information on E-Books
Link to SD 62 Virtual Library
Link to BC Virtual Library without Walls
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